Retractable awnings have been utilized for many years to provide shade or other protection to doorways, windows, or to overlie an area adjacent to a building structure such as a patio or deck. More recently, retractable awnings have been mounted on movable structures such as travel trailers, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, and the like.
In any of the above uses, however, a prevalent problem has been damage to the canopy of the awning caused when inclement weather conditions, such as high winds, cause the canopy to flap thereby tearing or in some cases stretching the canopy fabric.
Most, if not all, retractable awnings include rafter arms which extend from a support surface for the awning to the outer edge of the awning canopy when the awning is extended. A fastening mechanism is often provided on the rafter arm to position the rafter at a desired length and the awning assembly a fixed distance from the ground. Commonly, fasteners such as screws, or bolts with cotter pins, are inserted through an opening on an external rafter member which is aligned with an opening on an interior rafter member. The fastener then holds the rafter members in a relative position until removed.
Additionally, to prevent damage to awning canopies, systems have been developed which utilize clamps to connect the edges of a canopy to the rafter arms. These clamps are typically characterized by being removable and by a pair of jaws that encompass both the adjacent rafter arm and the awning canopy so as to simultaneously grip the rafter arm and the canopy. When removed, however, both the clamps and the fasteners used to secure the rafter arms often must be stored at a remote location and, therefore, are frequently lost or at a minimum become a nuisance.
Most recently, clamps have been designed which when not in use are stowed on the rafter arms. These clamps are often permanently mounted at a first end to the rafter arm and screwably mounted at a second end to an opening in the rafter. When it is desirable to secure the awning to the rafter, the second end of the clamp is unscrewed and the clamp is then rotated ninety degrees. While this approach has eliminated the need to store the clamps when the awning is not in use, it has not eliminated the need to store the fasteners used in aligning the interior and exterior rafter members. Additionally, inserting the fasteners to align the rafter members often requires use of an extension ladder, tools, and the like to properly align the openings in the rafter members and insert and sufficiently secure the fastener. For persons with a disability or physical limitations, such alignment, insertion, and securing of fasteners can often prove problematic.
Thus, a device which allows for the raising, aligning and securing of rafter members while also providing a clamp for securing an awning to the rafter member is needed. Additionally, a clamp which can be operated without the use of any additional tools or specialized skills is needed.